Shadow in the East

General

Right now lets just post ideas and thoughts on this page then later I will move it to the talk section and turn this into the storylines landing page.

Deathlord

Initial ideas: It sounded to me that we were leaning towards making our own deathlord and playing in the East. I have some ideas based on those assumptions. You would be serving the 13th Deathlord. She was a night caste in the First Age. She served in a secret police role. She was mad well before the Usurpation. By the time the Solars were overthrown, she had secretly started hunting solars, gods, and other powerful essence users for sport. She used the armor of the unseen assassin to avoid detection in her activities, which allowed her to avoid death for much longer than most Solars. She may have never been caught if she had been able to resist the temption to continue hunting powerful individuals. When she died, she couldnt accept the Neverborn's offer fast enough. She raged against those that had turned on her. The promise of revenge on her betrayers and the ability to hunt everything into extinction was more than she could ever hope for.

Unlike the other deathlords, she does not have plans for the direct destruction of creation. She instead works to remove obstacles from the other Deathlords' paths. She also works to police the Underworld. She has no desire to rule when the rest of creation crashed into the Underworld. Instead, she waits for the oppurtunity to hunt the other Deathlords and any remaining exalts, gods, elementals, yozi, primordials, and ghosts. Then, when there is nothing left to hunt, she will fade into Oblivion, at peace at last.

The deathlords primary manse would be in the east. The manse would not be in a shadowland, yet. The first story would center around Mt Megalopoulos (however you spell it), in Creation.

Names: We can come up with a number of names for her and then use our favorite as her primary name. I also imagine her having mock names of the other deathlords to screw with spies in general and the Sidereals in particular.
She Who Stalks The Shadows of Your Nightmares
Watcher in Darkness
Ghost in the Void
Despair with Seven Eyes.
The Last and Forgotten Raiton
Auspicious Cerulean Waterfall
Unfettered Jubilant Tyrant
Ashen Plague Scarab
The Final Sundering Lotus - Probably Deathlord
The Bounteous and Sagacious Daimyo
Jackal From Beyond the Vale of Tears

I like the general Deathlord idea and I'm cool with moving forward with it as much as you'd like Dan. Let us know if you'd like any help fleshing things out with her. Not completely sold on any of those names in particular, though I'd definetly rule out Despair with Seven Eyes because it's too similar to Eye and Seven Desparis who is a cannon Deathlord. --FyreFly 21:20, 28 March 2012 (EDT)

Fool. I clearly stated that some of them were mock names of other deathlords. As for her main name, I am having no luck comeing up with anything good.

--Macabreengel 15:45, 29 March 2012 (EDT)

Added a couple names as Deathlord/Deathknight title ideas. Jackal From Beyond the Vale of Tears is probably my favorite for a Deathlord. --FyreFly 11:21, 8 April 2012 (EDT)

Jackel is probably my favorite too, but I think The Final Sundering Lotus best fits this deathnight. I like them all though. Mark any of them that you think you or Brian might want to use for your deathknights, otherwise there is a good chance I might steal them for the NPC deathknights, as well as mine. --Macabreengel 12:50, 10 April 2012 (EDT)

Anima Powers

I was looking at the Fixalted Wiki because the anima powers are a bit iffy (Daybreak vs Dusk) to see what the errata said. The errata balances them by gimping daybreak, which probably makes them all roughly fairish, but isn't really much fun. 5 favored abilities plus weak anima powers equals castes not being that important, which I feel is a loss. If you go to the Major Edits on the right side under Solar anima, however, they have (what I think is) a cooler system. Each caste gets 3 powers (a passive, an active, and a totemic) that really differentiate the castes and make anima powers fun and powerful for everyone. Would you be interested in using the three power system for our game or would you prefer the by the book system? Abyssal ones would be based on the Solar ones, but no all be the same. Let me know if you think you might want to do the new system and I will post what I have for the powers.

I would actually vote not to change the anima effects system, I don't actually feel that it is nearly as unbalanced as people make it seem. Though Daybreak/Twlight is obviously the most powerful in direct combat I think that Day and Moonshadow are equal in power, though less directly. Frankly, for a Abyssal in Creation I think no anima power comes close to matching Day caste, and in the really long term Moonshadow are obviously the most powerful as their ability to learn other powers essentially makes them low level Deathlords. Unlike Solars, Abyssals have access to arconi freely and can learn even high level power without much searching. Midnight and Dusk are pretty obviously a step below the other 3, but I'd sooner tweak a value in those 2 than make overall system changes. (I'm actually fine with doing nothing and I'm leaning towards playing a Dusk Caste) I've always felt the the castes differ in how the characters are played more than anything else and the unique (or not so unique) powers don't swing it majorly. I'm fine with altering the system if people prefer (it'd probably be more balanced) I'm just not that concerned about it. --FyreFly 22:06, 26 March 2012 (EDT)

Whatever you guys want to go with. You know I like tinkering with stuff, which is way I figured I better ask.

--Macabreengel 15:45, 29 March 2012 (EDT)

Backgrounds

My initial reading of Familiar suggests to me that the writers thought that regular familiars were to powerful so they made them weaker. If you take a familiar it will follow a system modified off of the SotF one, but for Abyssals. Liege provides you a mentor, but we dont usually use mentor training times except for things like martial arts, sorcery, and necromancy. She knows plenty of sorcery and necromancy for starting level characters and knows all three "Underworld" martial arts styles plus the Ebon Dragon one. Many Deathlords know some Sidereal Martial Arts and she probably does too, but your character doesnt know that and I have decided which one she knows some of. Your Deathlord will mentor your at those things at the following levels:
Liege 1: Any Celestial MA up to Form Charm. Either First Circle of Necromancy or Sorcery
Liege 2: First Circle of both Necromancy and Sorcery
Liege 3: Mastery of 1 CMA. Either Second Circle Necromancy or Sorcery.
Liege 4: Mastery of any CMA she knows. Second Circle of both Necromancy and Sorcery.
Liege 5: Would be required for us to discuss whether or not she would teach your character Sidereal Martial arts or Thrid Circle Necromancy.

We've pretty much always treated familiar as the same as solar familiar, except geared more to the undead obviously. I'd vote for doing as you posted and using SoF rules. As for Liege/Mentor I'd actually probably slide the Celestial MA down a notch for each one, as I don't think a Deathlord would consider that a guarded secret (though I'd def leave Sidereal MA all the way up at 5). Perhaps something like the 3 Deathknight CMA's could master 1 at liege 2, and master any/all of the 3 at liege 3. But to learn something like Violet Bier of Sorrows or Immaculate MA might requite 3 and 4 as you have posted. I just don't think Abyssal Hero Style should be that closely guarded by a Deathlord from his servants. Other than that sounds good. --FyreFly 22:14, 26 March 2012 (EDT)

Abyssal Hero Style wouldnt count anyways because it is learned like regular charms by abyssals as their natural expression of hand to hand combat. I will look at lowering the requirement for the otherones.

--Macabreengel 15:45, 29 March 2012 (EDT)

Her Other Deathknights

Her favorite and most powerful deathnight is a day caste that spends most of his time away from her holdings. Besides the deathlord herself, he has the most control of her spy networks. He spends a lot of time in Creation and handles her most difficult and sensitive assignments. He has mastered the Ebon Shadow Martial Art. He would be considered Liege 5.

In theory her citadal is run by a daybreak when she is not there. In reality she has no interest in running its operations and the bureacracy she has set up does a fine enough job of handling things when she is not there. If anything does come up there when the deathlord is gone, however, the daybreak is in charge. She spends most of her time working on necrotech creations and studying necromancy. She is a second circle necromancer. She would be considered Liege 4.

A Moonshadow caste runs her palace in Stygia. Unlike his Daybreak contemparary, the moonshadow is very involved with everything that is going on. The Stygian palance is a very important part of the spynetwork and the moonshadow does an excellent job handling politics and spying on the isle. He dabbles a little in both martial arts and necromancy, but his primary weapon is politics. He would be considered Liege 4.

Her fourth Abyssal will be either a Dusk or Midnight (whichever is needed so she has at least one of each) that is mildly neglected. Will probably be Liege 1.

That brings her servents up to 7 (with us). It is believed that she probably has one more exaltation she can use but hasnt yet. She probably has at least one empty Monstrance for just in case.

Character Ideas

Tony

Just posting a couple of rough ideas that I've started to think about it and looking to see where you guys were on Character Ideas, I'm pretty much equally set on either right now so let me know what sorts of things you guys are thinking.

Most likely a Dusk Caste, former mercenary captain in his life who became an abyssal after committing murder-suicide of his once wife. (Physical-Social-Mental) Strong in combat, uses presence and charisma fairly well and is a natural leader though not much of a manipulator. Practically smart, but not scholarly. Has a grudge against the Wyld.
Most likely a Day Break Caste, who would specialize in Creating Shadowlands, grooming, keeping, and expanding them. Sort of like a Abyssal version of a geomancer. Would also have some ability in Necromancy and be a studied Necrotechician. (Mental-Social-Physical) Primarily a scholar, but also an adept manipulator. Tends to avoid outright conflict, but when forced into it she can defend herself or more likely use a necromancy/necrotechnolgy to find something else to fight for her.

Completely Optional Anima Changes

While I am underwhelmed by Solar/Abyssal anima powers, Tony is happy with them. Here is an example of an optional system that would rebalance and strengthen anima powers. It would also make castes more important and less fluid. It is up to you if you want to use this alternative system or if we should use the standard system.

Passive powers are always active and available. Active powers cost one mote and flash the Abyssals caste mark. Iconic powers go into effect at the 16+ anima banner level. The Abyssal can pay 5 motes to go autimatically go totemic.

Dusk

Passive: Leadership - Dusks naturally draw followers to their war banners. Increasing followers up to your Essence only costs 1 xp per dot. The first bonus/background point spent autimatically increases Followers to your Essence.
Active: Weaken Resolve - For 1 mote, an Abyssal can subtract his Essence from an opposing forces Valor as long as that force does not have a magnitude higher than his Essence. This power only effects someone's attempt to rally other people.
Iconic: Fist of Oblivion - The dusks anima banner terrifies his foes. Subtract half of the Abyssals Essence from opponets DV and increase Abyssal's DV by his full Essence. Character's can roll valor when it activates and reduce the effect on themselves by 1 ber success.

Midnight

Passive: Priest of the Neverborn - Choose either Whispers or Cult. The Abyssal only pays 1 XP per dot to increase his chosen background up to Essence. The first bonus/background point spent autimatically increases the choosen background to your Essence. In addition, Midnight's are expected to tend to the Neverborn's flock. As long as his cult worships the Neverborn, the Midnight is allowed to have cult up to his Essence without repricutions.
Active: Whisper of the Neverborn - For 1 mote, the Abyssal can whiper into a corpses ear and raise it up as either a hungry ghost or a zombie. The hungry ghost will not attack creatures of darkness, but is not under the Abyssal's control. The zombies act as if they were part of Underworld Command. At the end of a scene the hungry ghost will fall into Oblivion, and a zombie will fall to ash.
Iconic: Wrath of the Neverborn - Against Holy beings, the Abyssal gains most of the effects of the Dusk, Daybreak and Fire anima powers. The holy beings reduce their DV by half of the Abyssal's Essence, the Abyssal increases his DVs by Essence, the Abyssal ignores the first Essence damage from Holy attacks, and Holy beings take 1 die of (unsoakable) lethal damage if they are within Essence X 10 yards. A valor roll can be used to negate the effects on their DV and the Abyssal's DV in the same way as Dusks.

Daybreak

Passive: Dark Secrets - All basic Crafts (Air, Water, Fire, Earth, and Wood) are bought at one time as if the Abyssal is only buying one of them. Specialties for daybreak caste abilities only cost 1 XP each. Specialties for the same abilities bought with Bonus Points are 4 for 1 BP.
Active: Corrupt Device - For one mote the Abyssal can corrupt the little god of a device he is holding to automatically attune to it without having to make a roll. Attuning this way is a misc action.
Iconic: Arcane Protection - The Abyssal's arcane might repels attacks against her. Subtract Essence from all attacks against the Abyssal.

Day

Passive: Day Walker - Day Castes do not require the trappings of the dead to avoid penalties for operating in the lands of the living.
Active: Hidden Essence - For one mote, the Day Caste may suppress the display of his anima, channeling one Charm's use of Peripheral Essence through his hidden caste mark as if it were Personal. This will even cause Obvious charms and combos to become non-obvious, achieving their normal effect through less-spectacular but no less effective means (Obvious Charms and Combos cost double if peripheral is used, but no cost if Personal is used).
Iconic: Cloak of Shadows - At the Iconic level, a Day Caste's anima mutes light, sound and scent - imposing an external penalty to any attempt to attack, spot, or identify the Night Caste equal to his Essence. In the case of attacks, this adds the Day Caste's Essence directly to his DV, or serves as a raw external penalty if the character's DV is reduced to 0.

Moonshadow

Passive: Wolf Amoung Sheep - For double the experience cost, Moonshadows may learn the Charms of any other being in creation, so long as they meet the prerequisites, and so long as they are taught by a tutor who knows the Charm.
Active: Ancient Pacts - For one mote, the Moonshadow may display his caste icon, declare his identity, and state his purpose, providing him and his companions diplomatic immunity to all Gods, Elementals and Creatures of Darkness so long as his side does not initiate hostilities. Failing to observe acts as if the broke an oath sanctified by the Abyssal.
Iconic: The Neverborn Watch - At the Iconic level, a Moonshadow may sanctify any oath made, so long as he is touching the oath-takers. If the oath is broken, the oath-breaker receives a number of botches to future critical rolls equal to the Moonshadow's Essence at the time the oath was consecrated. Each of these botches should be at the worst time possible, and of the most severe (and possibly lethal) nature possible, and should preferably manifest in a manner appropriate for unholy wrath.